Two men charged with starting fire inside building they were stealing copper wire from

Two men charged with starting fire inside building they were stealing copper wire from

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Updated: 5:14 PM EST Dec 23, 2016

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WEBVTT BOB.REPORTER: STATE POLICE HERE SAYBASICALLY THEY WERE STEALINGCORP. AND AS PART OF THAT THEYSTARTED A FIRE BASICALLY SENDTHE UP SMOKE SIGNALS TO THEIRCRIME AND LEAVING LOTS OF CLUESFOR POLICE TO FOLLOW TO TRACKDOWN THEIR SUSPECTS.THE OLD GREATVILLE POST OFFICEBUILDING ON SIMLAR STREET WASCHARRED.THE FIRE WAS BACK IN MAY, POLICEREVEALED YEAH TODAY.THESE GUYS, ALLEGED COPPERTHIEVES WHO STRIPPED WIRE FROMTHIS AND OTHER BUILDINGS THENMADE A BAD DECISION.>> WHEN THEY WERE INSIDE THERETO STRIP THE WIRE INSTEAD OFPEELING IT APART THEY STARTED AFIRE INSIDE THE BUILDING.REPORTER: THAT FIRE SPREAD TOTHE BUILDING AND GOT ATTENTION.SOMEONE WHO LIVES NEARBY CALLED911, THEN WENT UP TO THEBUILDING AND SAW A SUSPECT.>> HE THIS KNEW WHO THEINDIVIDUAL WAS.THEY ENGAGED HIM IN CONVERSATIONAND ALSO SAW A VEHICLE THAT WASTHERE AND GOT A LICENSE PLATEOFF THAT VEHICLE.REPORTER: STATE POLICE TOOK THATINFO TO DANIELS AND MILLERSSCRAP YARD AND SURE ENOUGHRECEIPTS SHOW THE SUSPECT HADBROUGHT METAL THERE THE DAY OFTHE FIRE AND LEFT A LICENSEPLATE NUMBER, THE SAME ONE THEWITNESS SAW AT THE FIRE.INVESTIGATORS BELIEVED MORGANAND PARETTO HAVE PROBABLY DONESIMILAR CRIMES MANY TIMES IN THEPAST.>> GENERALLY WHEN SOMEONE DOESSOMETHING THIS BRAZEN IT'S NOTTHE FIRST TIME THEY DID IT.REPORTER: THEY INTERVIEWED THESUSPECT IN THE WESTMORELANDCOUNTY JAIL WHERE HE WAS BEINGHELD FOR UNRELATED CHARGES ANDHE I.D.'S MORGAN AS HIS PARTNERBUT SINCE THEN HE WAS RELEASEDFROM CUSTODY.WHILE MORGAN IS NOW IN JAIL HEIS AT LARGE.AND MORGAN'S BAIL IS SET AT$100,000.AGAIN, POLICE STILL SEARCHING

Two men charged with starting fire inside building they were stealing copper wire from

Police say two men accused of starting a fire inside a Westmoreland County building left several clues that made tracking down the suspects much easier.

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State police filed reckless-burning charges Thursday against Douglas Morgan and Joseph Peretto, both 42, for a fire inside an old Grapeville Post Office building in May.

Investigators said the men removed wiring from the building.

“To strip the wire, instead of peeling it apart, they started a fire inside the building,” said Trooper Steve Limani.

That fire attracted attention from a neighbor, who state police said called 911 before walking to the building and seeing Peretto.

“(The witness) knew who that individual was, engaged him in conversation, and also saw a vehicle that was there and got a license plate off that vehicle,” Limani said.

Later, detectives contacted Daniels & Miller scrap yard in Greensburg, where they allegedly found receipts showing Peretto had been to the business on the day of the fire to get money for metal. But to cash in the metal, customers have to provide a license plate number.

“That license plate matched the one that we had from the scene,” Limani said. “And it was also the same individual that was known to our witness.”

Investigators tracked Peretto down in the Westmoreland County Prison, where he was being held on unrelated charges. During an interview, they say, Peretto identified Morgan as his partner in the crime.

Morgan was arrested, but between the time that officers spoke with Peretto in jail and when the new charges were filed, he was released. Police are now looking for him.

Investigators also believe the duo may have been involved in similar crimes throughout the area.

“Generally, when someone does something this brazen, it’s not the first time they did it,” Limani said.